Monterey Peninsula College pool reopens

MONTEREY>>When the pool at Monterey Peninsula College closed for renovations, members of the Monterey Bay Swim Club scrambled to find another place to train.

It wasn't easy to find another pool, said board president Ron Garren. Other local pools were being renovated, the ones available already heavily used.

Then they found the Carmel Valley Community Youth Center, and a very eager-to-help board president.

"Tom Allaire came through, he really saved our team and changed the course of the center when he saw our kids swim," Garren said.

The Monterey Bay Swim Club is no longer in danger of disappearing for lack of a swimming pool, but its members are happy to return home Monday, as MPC celebrates the grand opening of its renovated pool.

"Now we're going to swim in three pools," Garren said.

MPC community members will celebrate the $2.8 million renovation of their 52-year-old pool Monday with President Walter Tribley, board members and MPC community on Monday.

The pool opening is a "greatly anticipated" event, Tribley said. "We're kicking off a new area of our renovated pool, we're very excited with a number of design features that will enhance activities in the pool."

The new facility was designed with sustainability and energy conservation in mind. The pool is all one depth — there is no deep end — reducing the amount of water needed to fill it by a third. The amount of maintenance, chemical use and heating costs will go down as well. The pool features a gutter system and an "infinity" edge where the water drops off the sides of the pool eliminating turbulence across the surface — a feature much appreciated by swimmers. The new facility will allow the college to host college-level swim meets and water polo matches.

"The new pool provides a new and safe environment for our students. It will open opportunities for the college and community that didn't exist before this renovation," said Lyndon Schutzler, MPC athletic director.

The renovation was desperately needed, officials said. The pool was closed for more than half the 2013 spring semester as the college struggled to maintain the antiquated heating and filtering systems. When students return Monday from spring break, they'll find full lists of classes. The college tri-athlete training program has already begun using the pool.

Thanks to the time the Monterey Bay Swim Club spent at Carmel Valley, the community is now interested in keeping their poor open year round and have swim lessons for children and master swimming for adults. There's many benefits to enrolling children in swimming, Garren said: they're learn how to keep focus, they hang out with other children interested in wholesome activities, and they're so tired at the end of the day they have no energy to get in trouble.

"Our basic (focus) is on student scholars," Garren said. "The athletic part makes them better students as well. When you have to be that disciplined and focused, it translates over to school."